On December 10, 2024, the Office de Gestion du Fret Multimodal (OGEFREM) launched a prequalification notice for the financing, construction, and operation of the Kasumbalesa dry port. Kasumbalesa is located at the intersection of several corridors leading to seven African seaports, including Dar es Salaam and Durban. Connected to National Road N°1, the locality serves as a vital link between Zambia's Copperbelt province and the former Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both rich in mining resources.

The prequalification aims to select operators for an upcoming tender to identify a private partner for the project. Target companies must have at least two references in managing or financing port infrastructures over the past 15 years and must have generated sales of at least $50 million in similar works and services within the last three years. Interested parties have until January 15, 2025, to submit their applications.

The Kasumbalesa dry port project has been in the works for over thirty years. OGEFREM has claimed it has already fenced off the entire 62-hectare site and compacted 20 hectares, with military engineers tasked with concreting the storage area. 

Regarding the long delay, the government blamed attributed to high costs—estimated at $129 million—and limited resources. This was revealed during a council of ministers held on February 4, 2022. During the same meeting, the ministers had decided to complete the project through a public-private partnership. 

According to the recently issues notice, the private partner is expected to finance and build various facilities, including 13,500 m² of warehousing space, truck parking for around 1,800 vehicles, administrative buildings, and a fire station. In return, the private operator will receive a fixed-term concession to operate and maintain the infrastructure.

The OGEFREM  said the project aims to enhance DRC's access to international markets and position it as a transit hub in the Copperbelt region while improving national and international trade corridors serving this mining-intensive area.

This article was initially published in French, by Pierre Mukoko

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho